Neutrophils are endowed with both pro- and antitumor functions.
Circulating neutrophils are a heterogeneous population.
Anti-tumoral (N1) neutrophils are present in early stages of tumors and metastasis while in later stages pro-tumoral (N2) neutrophils predominate.
CXC chemokines binding CXCR1 and CXCR2 are abundantly produced by tumors to recruit neutrophils.
After extravasation neutrophils acquire a new pattern of chemokine receptors including CCR2 that promote anti-tumoral activity.